Inclusive education: Implementing recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission
We are seeking your views on proposed changes to education laws to implement recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission.
What's being decided?
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability made 15 recommendations to prevent discrimination and promote safe, quality and inclusive education in all Australian schools.
To implement some of those recommendations, we need to amend South Australian education laws.
Draft legislation has now been developed which will support the implementation of the following two recommendations:
- Recommendation 7.1 - Provide equal access to mainstream education and enrolment
- Recommendation 7.2 – Prevent the inappropriate use of exclusionary discipline against students with disability
Your feedback on the proposed changes will be important in finalising the amendments that will be put to Parliament.
Background
In 2023 the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) made 222 recommendations on how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices to ensure a more inclusive society that supports the rights and independence of people with disability. Fifteen of those recommendations related to the education system.
In December 2024, the South Australian Government, Catholic Education South Australia and the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia announced an agreed cross-sectoral approach to implementing key recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission related to inclusive education.
To support the implementation of Disability Royal Commission Recommendation 7.1 (Provide equal access to mainstream education and enrolment) and Recommendation 7.2 (Prevent the inappropriate use of exclusionary discipline against students with disability), amendments to the Education and Children’s Services Act 2019 and the associated regulations have now been developed.
The government will continue to work on the implementation of its response to other inclusive education recommendations made by the Royal Commission.
Get involved
Find out more:
- review the draft Amendment Bill and draft Amendment Regulations
- read our explanatory paper
- take a look at our FAQs
Have your say by:
- completing our survey; or
- sending your written submission to edlawreform@sa.gov.au including your contact details such as name, address, telephone number and email. Please note that written submissions may be published. If you do not wish for your submission to be published, please state this when you send your submission.
What are the next steps?
We will consider your feedback and provide a report to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills before the draft Bill is finalised for consideration in Parliament.
